


Soft Shock

by Paperback_Head



Series: Clone Series [2]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-12 02:46:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7081795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paperback_Head/pseuds/Paperback_Head
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Also, what do you think about Root getting pregnant again after semaritan is destroyed. Either Shaw asking to have another child or maybe another unplanned pregnancy. Shaw being ecstatic because she will be there this time.</p>
<p>Plssssss write something about another of shaws baby/root getting pregnant again.. :))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

For the last few days, it had become a common occurrence for Root to spend her early morning hunched over the toilet. The Machine had brought up several possibilities but only one had been mentioned more than once and Root had quickly disregarded it every time. Shaw was back and she was assured by Root everyday that everything was real. Sure, she had her moments were she would freak out, mainly after a particularly disturbing nightmare, but she was always brought back within half an hour. All Root had to do was mention Oliver and she would begin to calm down. The little boy kept her grounded, as he did for Root as well.

They had destroyed Samaritan almost a month ago. The evil ASI was no longer in existence and they were free to continue their little underground operation. True to her word, Shaw declined Finch's offer to continue saving numbers and happily accepted her cover identity. Sameen Grant was a homicide detective that just so happened to be partnered with Lionel Fusco. She was a former surgical resident that had joined the marines and then had gone MIA for four years. Her wife, Shaw had almost choked on her sandwich when she had heard the word, Samantha had been pregnant at the time and now they were just a small, happy family.

Root had also taken a step away from working numbers. The Machine had once again taken it's rightful place and began giving relevant numbers to the ISA again. It was with this knowledge that Root made her decision and hadn't regretted it since. The Machine still spoke with her, after all she would always be the Analog Interface, but She never gave Root any work to do. She was simply Samantha Grant, a woman who worked as a consultant for a small, startup IT business run by Harold Whistler.

Reese had almost instantly turned in Detective Riley's resignation and told Iris everything, from beginning to end. He was working numbers full time now and didn't have to worry about balancing a double life. Fusco continued to work numbers on the side and didn't have to worry about a nosy new partner. Shaw always covered for him and solved many of their cases on her own, continuously giving Fusco credit to make it look like he did something. Finch continued as Professor Whistler, however he quickly retired and began a startup IT business with the aid of Root and Caleb Phipps. On the surface, he was a regular business man but if one were to look a little further they would see that he was the genius that had built an ASI, or God in Root's opinion.

It had been unsettling at first for Root to hear the Machine speaking in her own voice but she got used to it. Shaw had a more difficult time with it, especially because She began using it after Root had been shot and it was unclear whether or not she was going to survive. She had heard from Reese later on that Shaw had locked herself in the subway cart for ten minutes, holding a gun to the consoles that were keeping her running, before the Machine gassed the cart and she passed out. It was stories like that in which Root knew that Shaw loved her, even if she hadn't voiced it. But now, Root wasn't so sure she would.

"At this point there is a seventy nine point eight percent chance that you're pregnant." The Machine told her. As each day passed the odds increased, especially after the day she was supposed to get her period although it never came. 

"I can't be," Root whispered to herself before hurling into the bowl again. Once she had sufficiently emptied her stomach contents, which consisted of nothing but clear fluids at this point. 

Root knew that it was a lie. It was entirely within the realm of possibility that she was pregnant but she just didn't want to admit it to herself. She knew exactly what she wanted and this baby, whilst unexpected, was quickly being factored into her plans for the future. Like with her first pregnancy, she was ecstatic. She was having another baby with the woman she loved more than life itself. Their son was going to have a younger sibling and, whether it be a boy or girl, she knew that he would be excited. 

But she didn't know how Shaw was going to react. She hadn't been there for the first pregnancy, she didn't make any decisions about Oliver or their future until he was almost four years old. She didn't get to decide whether she wanted the baby or not. And that's the thought that made Root scared. What if Shaw didn't want the baby?

Shaw, despite her many doubts, was an amazing mother. She was always available for anything remotely involving Oliver, whether it be dropping him off or picking him up from daycare, spending time with him or simply keeping an eye on him during the nights that he had nightmares. She made sure they always had his favourites stashed away somewhere in the kitchen and allowed him to have free reign over the TV shows they watched or video games that they played, something that Root had been completely shocked by.

But she didn't know how Shaw was going to react to the news. They hadn't discussed having more children at any point in the last couple of months, they were simply concerned with getting there relationship where they wanted it to be. Shaw was much more open with Root and would actually talk to her about things. She was more affectionate too and didn't roll her eyes every time Root worked an innuendo into their conversation, she would just smirk back. They didn't do PDA although sometimes Shaw would let Root hold her hand for a while whilst they were walking Bear or going somewhere to eat. But just because Shaw was trying with their relationship didn't mean that she wanted another child with her.

"Okay," Root said more to herself than the Machine about five minutes later, confident that she wouldn't vomit all over the floor if she stood up. "I'll take Ollie to daycare and then I will get a test from the pharmacy." 

She cleaned herself up a little, washing her face and brushing her teeth and mouth clear of the foul taste, before exiting the bathroom and acting as if her brain wasn't just about to short circuit.

\-----

When Shaw returned home around midday she was exhausted. For the past week she had been working from early morning to late into the night in order to close the current case that she was working. She couldn't say enough how much she despised serial killers but, with a little help from Reese, she was able to catch the guy and put an end to his little spree. Her captain had been so impressed that she allowed Shaw to leave early to catch up on some much needed rest.

She hadn't seen Root or Oliver when they were awake. She would check on the four year old when she got home before stripping off her clothes and curling into bed with Root before leaving early the next morning whilst they were both still asleep. She would be lying if she said that it hadn't taken its toll on her, especially when one of the victims had been a young boy a few years older than Oliver. That had been two days ago and she had immediately called Root to make sure that their son was okay. She even got to speak to him a little bit before he had to be taken to daycare.

She quickly stripped off her leather jacket, which was originally Root's, not caring where it landed and placed her keys and badge on the small table by the door. She then moved to the office where she locked up her gun with the others they had collected. As she began to move to the bedroom, that was when she heard sobbing and it made her completely pause. She knew that Root had the day off but she had expected her to go have lunch with Finch and geek out about something.

Shaw debated for a good few minutes before knocking on the bathroom door, hearing the sobbing stop immediately. "Root," She called softly as sniffles echoed off of the tiled interior.

"Just give me a minute, sweetie." She heard Root reply, her voice thick with emotion. Shaw was immediately concerned but fought the desire to simply walk in the bathroom. They respected each other's boundaries no matter what and Shaw wasn't going to violate that, especially when Root was so vulnerable.

It was a minute later that Root stepped out and despite her obvious attempt to wash her face, Shaw could still make out the tear tracks on her face. It made her heart stop in her chest not only because Root managed to look beautiful no matter what but there was actual fear in Root's eyes, something that Shaw had only ever seen once when their son had gone missing.

Shaw easily slipped Root's hand into her as she led the tall brunette into their bedroom where they sat on the bed. Root refused to meet Shaw's concerned gaze, fearing that she would somehow know just by looking at her. They remained silent for a few minutes before Shaw finally spoke.

"What's wrong?" Shaw asked softly. When Root continued to blankly stare at the blanket that covered the bed, Shaw cupped her face and forced eye contact. She didn't know what had happened but it was enough to cause Root to cry in the bathroom alone so it had to be serious. "Talk to me."

Instead of saying anything, Root reached into the back pocket of her jeans and removed one of the many pregnancy tests she had taken in the past few hours. They had all come back with the same result and the room was plunged into complete silence as Shaw laid eyes on the unmistakable plastic.

Root placed it down on the bed between them and allowed a few tears to be released as she watched Shaw stare at it with no expression whatsoever. The silence lasted a whole ten minutes this time but it was Root that broke it.

"I'm sorry," She whispered brokenly. But to her surprise, Shaw looked up at her with the brightest smile she had ever seen on the Persian's face.

"This is for real?" She asked and Root instantly made eye contact to see nothing but sheer joy being displayed.

When Root nodded in response, Shaw immediately connected their lips in a fierce, passionate kiss that told Root everything that she needed to know. Before Root knew it, she was lying on her back with Shaw hovering over her with the same bright smile as before.

"We're having a baby," She whispered in complete awe as she gazed at Root lovingly.

Root simply smiled in return and connected their lips again, this time softer but just as excited.


	2. Chapter 2

To say that Shaw was unhappy was an understatement. They had been at the doctor's office for the past hour and the incompetent intern that was setting everything up would not stop checking Root out. Shaw understood completely, her wife was hot, but that didn't mean that the guy had to keep staring at Root every few seconds and it was really starting to piss her off. He looked like he was fresh out of med school and had absolutely no idea what he was doing with half the equipment. 

She wanted nothing more than to jab his eyes out but managed to restrain herself. Root, noticing the change in Shaw's demeanour, kept a firm grip on her hand in reassurance. She knew that insecurities about their relationship snuck into Shaw's mind every so often after a bad day or night and she did her best to reassure her. Words didn't work as well as contact did and Root ensured that they were always touching when Shaw was like this. 

Once the intern left the room, Shaw immediately stood up an began fixing the equipment that he had set up wrong. Shaw was nervous but Root, who had already been through this before, was excited. Shaw knew that this was a regular procedure but she was already going through a mental list of things that could go wrong. Evidently, it was fairly obvious to Root.

"Relax, sweetie." She said in a singsong tone as Shaw fidgeted with a few things.

There were so many things that could go wrong, not only with the appointment but with the pregnancy itself. They could find any number of things wrong with the baby or even Root and it scared her, although she would never admit it. Of course, Root could see right through her and the fact that the Machine was whispering Shaw's increased heart rate into Root's ear only made her more aware. 

"Sameen," She said softly and waited for Shaw to look at her before continuing. "Everything's fine. Ollie's with John, I'm fine and so is the baby."

Shaw simply nodded in return before returning to the seat she had previously occupied beside Root a few minutes earlier. She pressed a light kiss to Root's lips before resting her head on her shoulder. Root gently rubbed her arm, providing some small amount of comfort. She hadn't had the best day so far and she had been a bit off.

"Mrs. Grant," A woman in pink scrubs read off of a chart as she entered the room before looking up and smiling at the couple, ruining the quiet moment. "I'm Dr. Roscoe. I will be performing your ultrasound this morning. I just have a few questions to ask you before we begin."

Shaw tuned out as Root answered the OB/GYN's questions, instead focusing on their intertwined hands. She was already completely in love with their baby after Root told her almost seven weeks ago. The baby was just as important in her life as Root and Oliver were and she was completely terrified about it. Their baby hadn't even been born yet and she was already attached.

She was shaken from her musings by Root and she moved back a little, keeping a firm grip on her hand. 

"Is this your first?" The doctor asked as she gloved up.

"Second." Root answered fondly. Just the thought of their son put a smile on her face and Shaw felt significantly more settled. 

They had yet to tell anyone about the pregnancy yet, even Oliver. They agreed to wait until the first trimester was over. There was no doubt in Shaw's mind that Oliver would be excited and she knew that he would be an excellent big brother. 

It wasn't until the sound of a heart beat echoed throughout the room that Shaw's attention was dragged back to the present. It was strong and steady but noticeably irregular to a trained ear and Shaw was instantly dumb founded. Root felt her squeeze her hand tighter and she turned her attention to Shaw. 

"Sameen?" She asked in a soft whisper. She had felt the change in her demeanour again and didn't know whether it was a good or bad thing

"Well, ladies... it would appear that you are having twins." Dr. Roscoe congratulated, confirming Shaw's suspicion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'll just write a short oneshot." I said to myself when I posted the first chapter of each of the three fics I've written. So, this looks like it's going to be a few chapters, I'm not sure how many yet. If anyone has any ideas for chapters let me know. I will also do prompts so just stick it in a comment. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

They didn't tell the guys until the first day of the second trimester. Once those first few months had gone by and there was a significantly less chance of something going wrong, they were ready to tell their friends, their family.

Of course the first person they told was Oliver whilst they were driving him to daycare. He was an incredibly smart little boy and he had asked them both several times during the past few months if they were okay, noticing the subtle change between his parents. 

Shaw was driving, as usual, whilst Root typed an email on her phone in the passenger's seat and Oliver played on his iPad in the backseat. Shaw had been checking on him every few moments, trying to find the best time. When they were about five minutes away, Root put her phone down and gave Shaw a look in which she knew what she meant.

"Ollie," Root turned in her seat so that she was looking at the little boy.

Oliver looked up and put his iPad away, recognising the serious tone of Root's voice. It wasn't often that he heard her speak that way, especially to him and he knew that he needed to be paying attention to her at that very moment.

"We went to the doctor a little while ago and she told us something that you should know." Root told him, trying to keep things as simple as she could. "You're going to be a big brother."

At that, Oliver's eyebrows furrowed as if he was trying to figure out what Root had just told him. It was barely a minute later that he spoke up. "You and Mama are having a baby?" He asked more to himself however Root answered anyway.

"Two of them." She corrected and Shaw could hear the excitement in her voice. She swears that Root hadn't stopped smiling since they had found out and Shaw was pretty sure her normally expressionless face had gotten a little softer during the past few months. "What do you think?"

He went silent again for a few moments before asking another question. "You still love me?" He asked quietly as he looked down at his lap, although it was loud enough for them both to hear. Shaw felt her heart sink a little at the question. It definitely didn't feel good that her kid had to ask if she would still love him when his siblings were born. She didn't know if she could love anything more than her children, especially Oliver.

"Ollie, look at me." Root told him with fierce determination that told Shaw that she wouldn't relent until she got her point across. "Mama and I will always love you no matter what. There is nothing that would ever change the way we feel about you. Do you understand?" She was only satisfied when she received a nod from the little boy before he lent his head onto the car window.

The rest of the drive was silent as nobody uttered a word. Both Root and Shaw felt the need to walk him in and were reluctant to let him go after the conversation they had exchanged in the car.

As always, Root crouched down to his height and completely engulfed him in a tight hug. "I love you." Root whispered into his ear before placing a light kiss onto his cheek as he reciprocated and released him so that he could say goodbye to Shaw.

"Dooset daram." Shaw told him quietly as she squeezed him tightly and was satisfied when he uttered the phrase back. She then let him go and allowed him to run off to his classroom where his teacher greeted him with a bright smile.

\-----

Fusco had been the next one to be told. It was a few days later and they were pursuing a suspect in one of the many homicide cases that they were assigned. Of course Shaw, being the more agile of the pair, had been chasing the suspect on foot for several blocks whilst Fusco and a few uniforms drove around trying to block the perp off. 

It wasn't until the suspect had pulled a weapon and fired that he was cornered off by a large group of uniforms and Shaw. She knew that this wasn't a gang or mob member. Even though Elias had perished during the final few months of Samaritan's reign, word had gotten around that their team was off limits and they were not to be interfered with. Every gang and mob member in the city respected Elias, even if he was before their time, and they honoured that rule. It had come in handy a few times and Shaw had no doubt that it would come in handy again. However, today was not one of those days.

Fusco eventually showed up, pulling his weapon as well. The suspect had given up after he had run out of bullets and it wasn't until the adrenaline began to wear off that Shaw felt the particular pain that only a bullet could cause. Her left shoulder had been hit but it wasn't as noticeable as the blood was getting soaked into her long sleeved black shirt.

It wasn't until she pushed her fingers to it and blood was transferred that Fusco noticed and called for an ambulance, in spite of Shaw's dismissal of the injury. It was a through-on-through and she estimated that it would take a week or two until she was back to normal. However, it was the thought of spending those one to two weeks on desk duty that caused the brave face.

"It's fine, Fusco. I can patch it up myself." She insisted as the ambulance arrived and Fusco walked her to it.

"That may be but Cocoa Puffs will have my head if she finds out I didn't at least have you checked out to get a second opinion." Fusco retorted.

Shaw simply rolled her eyes and maintained the pressure as she sat on the edge of the ambulance, waiting for the paramedic to put gloves on. It's not like Root hadn't been shot in the shoulder before, although they hadn't had three children to think about before.

"Yeah, and then she'd stick you on permanent baby sitting duty when the kids are born." Shaw commented to herself off handedly, not realising what she had just said.

Fusco raised his eyebrows in shock, his eyes widened almost comically and his mouth opened slightly. It reminded Shaw of the first real exchange between Root and Fusco, when he had given the same shocked expression from Root who told him the information that the Machine was slipping to her, and it made her smirk.

"You two are having another one?" He asked in surprise, looking for confirmation to make sure that he had heard her properly.

"Yeah, twins actually." Shaw clarified, not able to keep the small smile off her face at the mention of the babies.

"Well, congratulations." Fusco said in a genuine tone that told Shaw he was being as serious as the heart attack he would have had if he had chased the suspect. "Just be sure to call wonder boy or glasses to watch em' before me."

\-----

Finch was the next person to be told. He had noticed a lot of different things with Root during the past few months during the lunches that they shared at least twice a week. She no longer drank any caffeine as far as he could tell and she had begun eating a little more instead of her usual half a meal. Finch had never said anything of course. He knew that if Root needed to tell him something it was better not to push. 

Today was a rare occasion as Shaw was available to have linch with them as well due to her temporary desk assignment. Her frustration was obvious when she had sat down. She wasn't the type for pushing paper, she wanted the action but her sergeant had been clear that she wasn't going to get for three weeks. 

"Don't worry, sweetie. You can have all the action you want when we get home." Root told her in a sickly sweet tone that caused Finch to choke on the tea he was drinking. Root smiled sheepishly and Shaw smirked at him. Something's never changed.

"One that note, I suggest we change the topic of conversation." Finch suggested hurriedly.

"Of course, Harry." Root told him as the waitress arrived with there food. They waited until she was out of earshot before continuing with the conversation. "How's the latest number?"

Finch breathed a weary sigh at the though of the man. Leon Tao was a recurring number and Finch had been hopeful that he wouldn't come up again as he appeared to be on the straight and narrow during Samaritan's presence. However, on further examination, it appeared that Leon had managed to be arrested and was released a two days ago, which just so happened to be the day they were given his number.

"Mr. Tao made a few enemies during his time in prison. It's not surprising that the Machine gave us his number... again." Finch informed as he at his food at a leisurely pace. "How are things with you Detective?"

"Pushing paper isn't as fun as it sounds." Shaw muttered as she ate. Her table manners had gotten better during the time she was back as Root insisted that she was exposing Oliver to bad habits. She had rolled her eyes at the time but learned a few things anyway. "And Fusco never seems to do any paperwork so there is just a pile, sitting on my desk waiting to be done."

"That sounds rather tedious. How about you, Root?" Finch had started calling her by her preferred name after she had almost been killed trying to save his life. That kind of sacrifice warranted respect in Finch's book and so he referred to her as Root, much to her delight. 

"Well, Harry, that's one of the reasons I wanted to speak with you." Root spoke casually before taking a sip of water. At this, Finch raised his eyebrow in curiosity and encouraged Root to continue. "I am going to need some time off in a few months."

"How long exactly?" Finch asked. He knew that it didn't matter, he would allow her time off indefinitely and still pay her wages. On the surface, Root's job was to maintain and update servers as well as consult here and there. What her job actually entailed was relaying information from the Machine from the comfort of the building they had begun working out of. She never went in the field like Reese and Fusco though. She simply created code or hacked whatever the Machine wanted her to hack. At this point, she was essentially another Admin.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe twelve weeks, a little longer. I'm still not quite sure." Root explained as she gave a small glance to Shaw for confirmation.

"Is everything alright?" Finch asked in concern. Root had never asked for time off, not even half a day, and twelve weeks was a very specific amount of time. There was only one reason that Finch could think of that would require exactly twelve weeks off of work but he didn't want to make assumptions.

"Everything's great, Harry." Root replied with a bright smile that very rarely made any appearance whilst Oliver was not present.

Finch looked from Root to Shaw, realising that he was not going to be getting a straight answer from Root. He should have expected so anyway. She was as cryptic as she was intelligent.

"She's pregnant." Shaw clarified as a surprised look, much like the one she had received from Fusco, appeared on his face.

It was amusing for Shaw to see him like that. He was calm and impassive most of the time, not giving much away. But to see him actually surprised, the man who built an ASI and fought in a war with it, was pretty funny. 

Finch tried to find the right words however everything he thought of seemed to disappear when he wanted to say it. Eventually, he just settled for something he couldn't mess up. "Well, I would like to sincerely congratulate you both." He told them with a soft smile.

They both smiled back at him and they moved on to a new topic of conversation.

\-----

Reese was the last to find out just because they didn't see him as often as they saw Fusco or Finch. However, that Friday afternoon offered them the opportunity for them to tell him. He offered to pick Oliver up from daycare every Friday and he would spend the afternoon with him and Bear before bringing the pair home. Bear spent weekends with them, provided that he wasn't needed for a number. Unfortunately, Oliver had beaten them to it.

"So, I hear congratulations are in order." Reese said to Shaw when he entered the apartment after Bear and Oliver, who had raced to find Root and tell her that he had finished the final level on one of his games.

Shaw paused the game that she way playing on the Playstation and turned to face him. She could see that he was a little hurt but he was genuinely happy for them.

"We were going to tell you." Shaw muttered and turned her attention to Bear when she heard him race over to her. She allowed him to jump onto the couch and lick her entire face as she pet him a little roughly before ordering him to stop.

"I know." Reese replied as he sat down, offering her a light smile that told her they were okay.

They weren't ones to talk about their feelings to death and they had somewhat of a mutual understanding. They both had similar backgrounds and understood the other so moments like this were few and far between. Of course, the atmosphere was interrupted when Root and Oliver entered the living room, both taking seats next to Shaw.

"So, twins?" John spoke up after a few moments, offering Root a sincere smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Shaw staring at Root in awe and maybe a little heatedly because she knew Root was beautiful but during pregnancy Root was even more breathtaking.

As Root walked into their bedroom looking completely exhausted, Shaw couldn't take her eyes off of her. Even though she was wearing a large t-shirt and old sweatpants, she was still the sexiest woman that Shaw had ever laid eyes on. The fact that Shaw was now able to spend the rest of her life admiring the beauty before her brought a smile to her face.

Root was already drop dead gorgeous but she was somehow even more so now that she was pregnant, if such a thing were possible. She seemed completely content with life, exactly as she had been when the Machine made her the Analog Interface. Although it wasn't the Machine that made her happy, it was her and their children.

"Ollie's asleep and Harry said I could have tomorrow off which means I can take him to daycare tomorrow." Root told her wife as she pulled out a baggy hoodie that smelt like Shaw. "Maybe I could meet you for lunch."

Root didn't notice her staring for a while, assuming that Shaw was listening to everything that she was saying. To her surprise, the normally fully alert former agent had her eyes locked onto her with a soft yet heated gaze.

"See something you like, sweetie?" Root asked teasingly as she made her way over to her side of the bed.

She was completely caught off guard when Shaw pulled her into a heated, possessive kiss that she wished could have lasted forever. She hummed contently as she brought her hands up to Shaw's face to hold her in place whilst reciprocating with just as much passion. Sure, she loved it when Shaw was soft and took her time with a kiss but every once in a while this type of kiss was much appreciated.

Root was even more insecure now than she was before she was pregnant. She allowed the self doubt to take residence in her conscious thoughts every now and then and having Shaw respond to her this way erased all of it. The fact that Shaw was so affected by her just walking into a room provided her with enough reassurance to get her through her tormenting thoughts. 

One of the many fears she had about the pregnancy was that Shaw wouldn't want her like she had before. But it was moments like this that made Root feel ridiculous for even briefly considering the notion. If anything, Shaw wanted her more however that may have been due to her increased sex drive due to the pregnancy hormones. Shaw was more gentle if anything but these moments of giving in to their desire in an explosion of passion weren't scarce either.

Their sex life was the healthiest it had ever been and every time they lost themselves in each other was just as amazing as the last. They would re-explore and mark every inch of each other, refusing to pull apart until they were both completely satisfied and their bodies were thoroughly exhausted and barely contained any traces of energy. They took their time, refusing to rush anything, and savoured every second. They knew exactly what to do to drive the other wild and both woman were sure that they would never tire of being so intimate with each other.

They only pulled apart when the need for air was too urgent to ignore and even then they still remained a few inches from each other. They rested their foreheads together as they refilled their lungs and settled their racing hearts. A few moments later, Shaw kissed her again but this time it was softer and more restrained before pulling back again to gaze into Root's eyes.

Root didn't know how long they stayed like that but she didn't really care either. She could see a lot of emotions in Shaw's eyes that she very rarely got to see. It was during these quieter moments that Shaw allowed Root to see a little more than usual and Root was beyond grateful. She had made it perfectly clear that she didn't want or need anything more than she could give and yet Shaw still pushed herself to let Root in, even if it was temporary.

Shaw pushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face and allowed her hand to remain cradling the tall brunette's head. Root didn't pay any attention to the tapping of her finger until a few minutes later after she noticed a repeating pattern. Once she worked out what it was, morse code, she smiled shyly at Shaw and looked at her with tear filled eyes.

"I love you too." She replied in a whisper before recapturing Shaw's lips and proving the sentiment to be true multiple times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've pretty much written all the chapters for this fic but if you have any ideas for additional chapters, let me know. A few of the suggestions, such as this one, have been incorporated. Hope you enjoyed the update.


	5. Chapter 5

At the twenty week mark of Root's pregnancy, the couple found themselves back at the doctor's for another scan. However, this time they were more excited because they would be able to know the babies' genders. Both women didn't really care what gender they were, as long as they were healthy, but they had agreed to find out in order to make name choosing a little easier. Thankfully the prepubescent intern from the last few times wasn't there this time which put Shaw in a significantly better mood.

The scan took a considerable amount of time, considering that the scan typically took anywhere from thirty to forty five minutes for one baby. It was at that moment that Shaw was glad they weren't having triplets. They really would be there for ages. 

"So, are you wanting to find out the genders today or are you going to wait?" Dr. Roscoe asked the couple with a smile. Shaw didn't mind her as much as she thought she would and after doing a little research on her with the help of the Machine, she was quite impressed with the doctor's credentials.

"We wanted to find out," Root answered, easily smiling back. The fact that Root was so naturally charming irritated Shaw to no end but she never said anything. It normally made something go in their favour but this was not going to be one of those times.

"Of course, just give me a moment." The doctor responded as she placed a little more of the freezing cold gel onto Root's growing belly. 

It wasn't too long, only a couple of minutes later, before the screen showed two unmistakable figures. Root almost immediately reached for Shaw's hand and the Persian subconsciously intertwined their fingers. She had seen ultrasounds before during her caffeine fuelled days as a med school student, intern and resident, it was a requirement, but she had never seen the point until now. Her brain wasn't really processing anything but the image of their unborn children on the small screen.

"Okay, they are definitely fraternal twins." The doctor said as she examined the image closely. "It appears you are having one of each, ladies. Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy." Dr. Roscoe pointed to the different babies on the screen whilst telling them.

Shaw turned her attention to Root for a moment, noticing the watery smile that was now residing on her face, before giving her hand a light squeeze. Root moved her gaze to her wife and couldn't help but smile wider at the wide, uncharacteristic smile that she received. 

\-----

It was later that evening that Root found herself lying on the couch, waiting for Shaw to put Ollie to bed and rejoin her. She got her wish a few moments later as she heard familiar footsteps coming down the hallway. Instead of shoving her legs aside, Shaw lifted Root's head, allowing her to rest her head on Shaw's lap while she ran her fingers through her long hair soothingly.

"We should start thinking about names," Root commented after a while. Neither one of them were paying any attention to the TV that was just background noise.

Shaw hummed in acknowledgement before settling her head against her arm which was being supported by the arm of the couch. At this point, she really didn't care what they named them as long as it wasn't completely stupid.

"What do you have in mind?" Shaw asked softly, momentarily stopping her movements to allow Root to roll onto her back so that she could look at Shaw.

"That depends. Are we starting with boy or girl names first?" Root asked. In response she received a shrug and an impassive expression. "Okay, then we'll start with girl names. What do you think about Emma?"

Shaw thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Don't like it." She muttered.

"How about... Evelyn? We could call her Edie." Root suggested.

"Too old fashioned."

"Okay, Brooklyn?" Root asked, gazing up at Shaw for good measure. "That's a nice name."

"We live in New York City, Root. I'm not having her grow up thinking we got her name off of a map." Shaw reasoned.

"Well, do you have any suggestions?" Root asked. She didn't know if Shaw thought it was easy for her to think of names because it surely wasn't. It was ironic that she couldn't think of a name when she had swapped identities every few days for almost half a decade. 

"I kind of like Hanna." Shaw told her after a few moments of silence.

This suggestion immediately caught Root's attention and she felt the moisture steadily build up. She hadn't known that Shaw was privy to any information regarding most of her childhood, especially Hanna. She would share minor things every so often but she kept the heavier stuff to herself. 

"I guess we just need a boy's name now." Root said as she steadied her voice. "What about Henry?"

"I'm not crazy about the whole matching names thing." Shaw informed her as she released a yawn. 

"Fair enough." Root relented. "I like Samuel."

At this suggestion, Shaw raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief as a mischievous smirk made it's way onto Root's face. She couldn't even believe that Root had suggested the name but, then again, it was such a Root thing to do.

"No, there are enough Sam's in this family as it is." Shaw told her to which she received a pout in return.

"Why not? I don't use my first name and you don't like it when I call you Sam." Root reasoned in a teasing voice but Shaw couldn't tell whether it was genuine or not. Shaw couldn't believe that she was actually arguing with her about this. It was completely ridiculous. Shaw simply gave her a stern look and Root relented a few moments later. "Relax, Sameen. If you don't like it, we won't use it. But you should know, Ollie was almost a Samuel. John talked me out of it."

Shaw simply rolled her eyes. "Yeah, remind me to thank him when I see him next." Shaw commented before receiving a light smack on her arm. She chuckled silently to herself as she placed a light kiss onto Root's forehead before whispering, "I'm joking."

"What name do you like sweetie?" Root asked, her voice turned soft again. It was getting later and Shaw could tell just how tired Root really was, especially because she wasn't allowed any caffeine.

Shaw was quiet for a little while as she tried to think of one. She had never really given any thought to whether she liked names or not. She never anticipated that she would one day be where she was now, with a perfect little boy and a pregnant wife.

"What about Joshua?" Shaw asked quietly. She tried to avoid Root's gaze but the tall brunette could still see the emotions welling in her eyes. Root blindly searched for Shaw's hand, eventually finding it, and placed a light kiss on it before placing it over her heart.

"It was her father's name." The Machine whispered into Root's ear. It wasn't often that the Machine would talk to her when she wasn't helping with a number and She only did so to provide Root with important information. She respected the boundaries that Root had set and maintained them to the letter. But it was small pieces of information like this that the Machine slipped her every now and then that kept their connection alive. That and the small conversations they would have.

Root smiled softly and looked up to catch Shaw's gaze, eventually doing so despite her stubborn nature. "I think it's perfect." Root responded, smiling softly at her. 

"Hanna and Josh." She whispered, earning a soft smile from Shaw that was obviously contagious.


	6. Chapter 6

It was incredibly rare when Root had to help the guys out on a weekend but it did happen. Of course, Shaw hadn't been too happy about being woken up before seven in the morning on a Saturday but Root had ensured that she had absolutely nothing to complain about before she left for a couple of hours. Shaw had to admit that steak really wasn't better than sex, at least not sex with Root.

It was about an hour after Root left that Oliver woke up, which was unusual considering that he had been conditioned to wake up at a certain time in order to get ready for daycare. It was helpful during the week but Shaw was sure that it was worth it when he woke up early on weekends.

He sleepily made his way to where Shaw was sitting on the couch with Bear at her feet and sat down next to her before cuddling into her side. Shaw could tell that the little boy was still tired, as he was barely keeping his eyes open, but figured that he would wake up on his own. After a half hour of watching some pointless cartoon that really wasn't that funny, he seemed to be a little more awake. 

"Sobh Be Kheyr." Shaw said to him softly before placing a light kiss onto his forehead. That's when she knew something was off. He was much warmer than he normally was and Shaw was now concerned. "Halet Khubeh?"

Oliver simply shook his head in response before laying his head on her arm. "Nakheyr." He answered back. Shaw had been teaching him Farsi after he had heard her muttering to herself. Of course she hadn't taught him the words that he had heard, as they weren't exactly appropriate for a four year old, but she had taught a few things here and there. He was a fast learner so his pronunciation was pretty much perfect the first few times he would say anything. "Man ehsas e nakhoshi mikonam."

At this, Shaw stood up to retrieve the thermometer and took his temperature. As soon as Shaw stood up he laid down and closed his eyes for a few seconds. His temperature was fairly high at one hundred and four degrees and Shaw found herself even more worried. She immediately picked up the phone and dialled Root's number.

"What's up, sweetie?" Root answered on the second ring knowing that Shaw wouldn't call her if it wasn't important. Shaw knew how to take care Oliver and they would normally just end up playing a video game anyway.

"He's not feeling too good." Shaw told her worriedly and Root could hear in her voice that she was freaking out even though she was completely stoic in person. "I don't know what's wrong yet."

"Sameen," Root said as Shaw's breathing got a little erratic. Root thought that it was kind of sweet that Shaw was getting so worked up about their son not feeling well, especially because she was medically trained. "Relax. It's probably nothing serious. Children get sick all the time."

She knew that Root was right but this was the first time that the little had gotten sick since Shaw had been back and she couldn't help the uneasiness that settled in her stomach. She didn't want to see her son suffer or feel uncomfortable in any way but it couldn't help but be avoided and it hurt her to see him so drained. 

"Can you put the phone on speaker?" Root asked and with the click of a button Shaw had done as she was asked.

"You're on speaker, Root." Shaw informed her as she sat down on the coffee table that was in front of the couch, gently running her hands through Oliver's hair. It needed to be cut but Shaw couldn't bring herself to mention it to Root. He looked cute with his unruly hair which was slightly curled at the ends.

"Hey, baby." Root greeted, her tone instantly softer. Oliver opened his eyes slightly so that he could see the phone before closing his eyes again.

"Hi mommy." He said softly, something that wasn't a good sign.

"Mama said you're not feeling well. What's the matter?" She asked at a lower volume as Shaw could hear footsteps echoing in the background.

"My tummy and head hurts," He groaned as he moved slightly before Shaw stopped him.

"It might be a stomach flu. Do we have medicine?" Shaw asked. She didn't want to leave the little boy alone when he wasn't feeling one hundred percent unless she knew for a fact that she had to.

There was shuffling and hushed voices on the other end that Shaw couldn't make out before Root's voice returned. "Sorry about that. I don't think so but I'll pick some up. Harry just dismissed me for the day."

"Okay, see you soon." Shaw told her before hanging up the call.

She pressed her hand to his forehead just to make sure he had a temperature before moving onto the couch next to him. He almost immediately moved so he was pressed into her and she couldn't resist the urge to wrap her arm around him. 

"Khoob bekhabi." She whispered as she felt his breathing even out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sobh Be Kheyr- Good Morning  
> Halet Khubeh- Are you okay?  
> Nakheyr- No  
> Man ehsas e nakhoshi mikonam- I feel sick  
> Khoob bekhabi- Sleep well
> 
> I apologise for any wrong translations. I used the internet for assistance.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Tomas is back in town and finds Shaw. He asks her if she can help him on a mission. Of course Root don't like that at all and is super jealous. (Hey eeyore, where's the perky psycho?)

"Hey Eeyore, where's the perky psycho?" Shaw asked as she sat down on the desk across from the tall brunette. She had sounded off when they had spoken earlier so Shaw decided to bring her lunch and see if she could cheer her wife up. Apparently not.

Root had been noticeably different for the last week or so and it worried Shaw to no end. She didn't know how if it was the hormones but Root had been distant. She would leave for work before Shaw and be asleep by the time she came home. She wouldn't really say anything during phone conversations and Shaw was starting to miss the almost constant stream of innuendos.

"Root, I'm serious." Shaw said a couple of moments later when Root didn't respond. Root seemed to be completely uninterested in whatever it was that Shaw had to say, continuing the rapid tapping of computer keys as she flawlessly coded. Shaw rolled her eyes and grabbed both of Root's wrists gently, moving them away from the keyboard and turning Root's entire body in the spinning chair to face her. "Talk to me."

Shaw was worried but her heart sank as she saw tears beginning to well in Root's eyes. She hated to see her wife upset, especially because of her even if she didn't know what it was exactly that she had done. Instead of asking more questions, Shaw simply pulled Root up so that she was standing and wrapped her in a tight embrace that seemed to have an instantaneous effect. 

"Please don't leave me." Root whispered so softly that Shaw had strained to hear what it was exactly that had been said. 

She pulled back slightly in confusion but the moment she locked eyes with Root, she knew that she had heard her correctly. She could see the insecurities and doubts swirling in her mind, driving her to the brink of insanity. She didn't know what exactly had caused this reaction but she didn't like it.

Shaw placed one of her hands on Root's waist, pulling their bodies together, and the other delicately cupped Root's face and she claimed Root's lips in a slow, thorough kiss that immediately silenced the rapid fire of thoughts through Root's brain. The only thing that she could focus on was Shaw which is exactly what the Persian wanted. She took her time with the kiss, refusing to relent the control that she had. She needed to reassure Root in a way that words never could and she continued to do so until they were both literally breathless.

But Shaw didn't stop there. She continued to place soft kisses on the brunette, kissing down the right side of her neck before making a trail up the left side until she reached her good ear, all the while removing her hand from her face and intertwining her fingers with the hand that wasn't currently stroking the back of her neck.

"I thought we already talked about this." Shaw whispered into her ear, placing another light kiss just behind it. "You are stuck with me until one of us bites it."

Root laid her head onto her shoulder and just allowed Shaw to hold her as she wrapped her free arm around her. They remained silent for a few moments, just enjoying the silence until Shaw felt a wet patch beginning to form on her shoulder. She squeezed Root's hand lightly and placed another soft kiss onto her forehead. 

"I can't lose you... not again." Root whispered hoarsely, this time loud enough so that Shaw could clearly hear her. "She told me that Tomas was back and that you saw him and I... I just don't..."

Shaw swiftly cut her off with another kiss, however this time it was heated and determined. This kiss wasn't meant to reassure, it was meant to erase every doubt from Root's mind. It was meant to erase everything from Root's mind until she couldn't focus on anything but what Shaw was going to say. Everything clicked into place.

"We talked. He made me an offer and I said no. I'm staying with you and our family because that's where I want to be." Shaw told her, conviction adding a hard edge to her voice. "I want you."

Root allowed more tears to fall however this time they were accompanied by a watery smile. She had never in her life been told anything like that. As a child, she felt like a burden especially after her father had left. It was during this time that her mother began to destabilise and she had been forced to take the place of caregiver despite her seven years of life experience. It wasn't until Hanna had befriended her that she felt a little better about her life however that had been short lived. 

It was only in recent years, during her first pregnancy, that she truly felt at home and like she belonged somewhere. Finch, Reese and even Fusco had made her as comfortable as they possibly could, especially since Shaw hadn't been there. They had made her feel more than just a former adversary, like a true friend and apart of their nontraditional family. Of course when Oliver was born, she knew everything was real. The pieces began to fall into place and here she was, being comforted and reassured by Shaw about something that would never actually happen.

She simply grasp Shaw's hand a little tighter and placed a featherlight kiss onto her shoulder. "I love you." She whispered as she settled her head back onto Shaw's shoulder, just enjoying the feeling of being held.

"You too." Shaw muttered back but whether Root heard it or not, she would never know.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Maybe one where Shaw does something SUPER romantic for Root. And when things get hot and heavy they keep getting interrupted and Shaw gets majorly pissed and frustrated and tells Harold 'Can't I just make sweet love to my wife'. Or maybe where Oliver almost walks in on them.

It was a rare occasion when Shaw did anything remotely romantic but it wasn't completely unheard of for Root. If you asked her she would tell you that the sociopath was always romantic just in her own way. It was the little things that made Root fall a little more in love with Shaw, if such a thing were possible. She wasn't one for large scale romantic gestures. She liked to keep things simple which is one of the things that she and Shaw can agree on.

When it came to their relationship, Root thought everything was romantic simply because Shaw tried. She tried to push herself to let Root in a little more everyday, something that didn't escape Root's notice. Shaw made a conscious effort to actually initiate hand holding and hugs even if she wasn't a huge fan. It was a real challenge when they weren't in private but Shaw managed.

It was nights like this that Root enjoyed most however. Quiet nights where it was just the two of them. Don't get her wrong, she completely adored her son. They both did. She had no idea when she had been pregnant with him that people could feel so strongly for another person. She knew what love was, how deeply she had loved Shaw at the time, but that was next level. But sometimes it was nice to spend a few hours alone with Shaw.

She hadn't anticipated just how close Shaw and Oliver would be when Shaw had been in Samaritan's custody. They were a lot alike and Oliver was the only person other than Root that she tried to be different for. She was softer with him and allowed him things that Root would have never imagined. Shaw would slip him bits of food off of her own plate to him, she would offer to sleep on the couch when Oliver had a nightmare, she would willingly allow him to snuggle up to her when he was sleepy or not feeling well. In Shaw's eyes, he could do no wrong and Root shuddered to think what life would be like during his teenage years of the trend continued. Especially now with the addition of two more children.

Reese had been more than happy to watch Oliver for the night. Each of the guys would flip their entire schedules around if they needed someone to watch Oliver. They had been through Root's entire pregnancy and had helped to keep her together during the AI cold war, reminding her on the darker days that she had more to look forward to than death like she anticipated.

Dinner had been amazing as per usual. Root had been mildly surprised to learn that Shaw was a good cook, as opposed to Root's basic knowledge and skill set. She had never needed to know how until she became a mother and she only learnt enough to keep from having take out for every single meal. Shaw, however, was a different story. She knew how to make all sorts of things and applied the same precision into cooking as she had when she was working numbers. 

Now they were lying on the couch, squish into each other so that they both fit. Neither of them minded in the slightest and Shaw would never admit that she felt content in that moment. Whilst Oliver wasn't home, or more accurately in her line of sight, she knew that he was safe and Reese would never let anything happen to him, especially after the scare they had last year. And if Root was pushed up into her she was wasn't taking instructions from the robot overlord. She wasn't creating some destructive virus with lines of flawless code, she wasn't researching a new number and she sure as hell wasn't playing identity roulette. She and the twins were completely safe because Shaw would never let anything happen to them.

"Hey," Root whispered, placing her hand on Shaw's face and moving her head so that they were locking gazes, bringing Shaw's attention back to the present. "Where'd you go?"

Shaw knew that Root thought she had slipped back to the dark days of simulations. She worried about it on a daily basis and it made Shaw wish that she could somehow reassure her. Sure, she had her bad days after one of the recurring nightmares but they were getting further apart rather than the frequent nightmares that occurred when she had first come back. 

"Nowhere," Shaw replied as she moved her face slightly and placed a soft kiss onto Root's palm before manoeuvring her head on to Root's chest, positioning herself perfectly so that she could hear Root's heartbeat, and throwing an arm around her waistline. She was careful not to lie on top of the taller woman and decided to slip into the space between Root and the back of the couch. She could feel the light kicks against her arm and ignored the soft smile that played at the corner of her lips.

Root wrapped a arm around her back whilst the other was playing with the fingers of the arm around her waist. It was intimate moments like these that Root thought about the most. These quiet moments where they would just be there, present in what was happening. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they didn't. There were no expectations which was exactly how they wanted it.

They remained like this for a while, the exact amount of time being thirteen minutes and twenty seven seconds according to the Machine, until Shaw placed a soft kiss onto Root's chest before sitting up a little. Root was completely silent as Shaw reached for her coat that was flung across the back of the couch that afternoon out of frustration and she knows that her mouth hung open just the slightest when Shaw removed a small box that could only contain one thing.

Shaw opened the box and allowed Root to see the contents, two gold wedding bands and a small engagement ring. Root was in complete shock as Shaw took her hand gently and slid the engagement ring and one of the wedding bands onto her finger, keeping her fixed onto her hand.

"I know we talked about it and we're technically already married but..." Shaw spoke softly as she slipped the remaining ring onto her own finger before meeting Root's gaze. "Neither of us had a ring so I thought why not."

Root couldn't bring herself to break eye contact as she watched the hardness dissipate from Shaw's eyes leaving a sincere edge of fear. This was completely beyond the realm of possibilities that Root had imagined being with Shaw, in an actual committed, monogamous relationship, would be like. 

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't form words so she settled for pulling Shaw into the one of the most passionate kisses that they had ever shared. Root laced her fingers into Shaw's hair as Shaw cupped her face gently and brought her other hand to the back of Root's neck in an effort to keep them from breaking apart. Of course that became irrelevant when they both became in desperate need of oxygen. However, they didn't stop there, well at least Root didn't as she began thoroughly kissing and nipping at Shaw's neck.

Of course, with Shaw's luck, someone decided at the very moment to call her cellphone and she wished to God that she could have ignored it. Unfortunately one of the many curses to being a homicide detective was that you needed to be available twenty four seven. Root, however, continued as Shaw eventually produced the offending item from her coat and she answered.

"Detective Grant," She greeted whoever it was with an out of breath tone.

"Yeah, it's just me," Spoke an all to familiar gruff tone. "The warrant came through if you want to join me."

Shaw sucked in a shaky breath as Root reached a particularly sensitive spot and proceeded to undo the buttons of Shaw's shirt. "Hm, I think I'll pass." She somehow managed to get out as she placed a silent kiss onto Root's forehead.

"You alright?" He asked after a moment, sounding genuinely concerned. They had grown closer since becoming partners and the question wasn't foreign to Shaw in the slightest.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let me know what you find." Shaw hurriedly spoke before hanging up and turning her phone off completely.

The moment that Shaw let go of the small electronic device her lips were back on Root's as she allowed the brunette to push the now unbuttoned shirt off of her shoulders, leaving her in a singlet and jeans. Root, on the other hand, was still completely clothed and Shaw began tugging at the oversized hoodie, an item of clothing that was undoubtedly her own, that Root was wearing.

"You're wearing too much," Shaw growled as she pulled back enough to pull the hoodie off of Root in one go, with her help of course. Root had begun to forgo any clothing with buttons as Shaw had a tendency to completely rip it apart in an effort to undress her. 

It was just as Root was beginning to remove Shaw's singlet that her own phone began ringing which earned a frustrated growl from Shaw, who decided to do exactly as Root had whilst the other woman answered the phone. 

"Hello," Root answered, voice unsteady as Shaw began to run her hands down Root's body causing her to shiver.

Shaw couldn't hear what was being said but from the way Root kept clenching her eyes shut, she could tell that she was having a difficult time focusing on whatever it was. She smirked to herself, ensuring that Root could feel it against her skin, as Shaw slipped her hands underneath the t-shirt that she was wearing and began sucking on her neck, resulting in a sharp intake of breath.

"No, everything's fine." Root spoke a little steadier as Shaw pulled back before continuing down the front of her neck as she played with the hem of Root's bra, making the other woman moan silently. "I just think we should be having this conversation in person."

Shaw moved her hands to Root's back, stealthily undoing the bra, causing Root to hurriedly end the call before recapturing the Persian's lips. However, it was barely a minute later that the phone rang once again and Shaw was just about ready to take a sledgehammer to it.

"What?" Shaw barked into the phone, ready to kneecap whoever was on the other end of the call.

"My apologies, Ms. Shaw." Finch's apologetic tone came through the phone line. "I thought I called Root." 

"Harold, tell your stupid machine that the next person who calls is going to be maimed." Shaw spoke in a dangerously low tone that made Harold audibly gulp on the other end before she hung up and turned Root's phone off as well.

"Something the matter, Sameen?" Root asked teasingly in a sing-song tone. 

The response she received was a light growl, a heated kiss and some of the best sex she had ever had.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> how about food cravings and how Shaw goes out of her way to please Root in that aspect or be in complete awe with how Roots appetite is just like hers now lol!
> 
> Could you maybe do one where Shaw thinks Root is asleep and talks/sings to the bump?

Shaw knew that being pregnant wasn't the most pleasant experience to physically go through however she imagined that the quantity of food that one could consume would be one of the more enjoyable aspects. Root had never eaten as much as she should have. In Shaw's opinion, she ate like a bird which was a characteristic she had somehow managed to pass down to their son.

She had always eaten barely two meals day, which she ended up given most of to Shaw anyway, and would snack on fruit when she needed it. She had also basically survived off of coffee, keeping herself from sleeping as a side effect. All in all, she wasn't the healthiest human being alive but now that she was pregnant, with twins no less, she ate almost as much as Shaw.

She couldn't help it. She was not only feeding herself anymore but two tiny humans as well who would probably end up with an appetite identical to Shaw's. She was eating just as much, if not more, than Shaw and it was extremely amusing for her... when she wasn't being woken up in the middle of the night.

"Sameen," Root whined as she continued to poke at Shaw's cheek. Shaw had been trying to sleep for the past five minutes figuring that her wife would eventually get the hint and go to sleep. She was dead wrong.

"What could you possible want at..." She paused to check the time on the alarm clock on her side table. "Ten freaking thirty?"

She rolled over rather aggressively to face the taller woman, raising an eyebrow for emphasis when she received a delighted smile. 

"Oh good, you're awake." She told her in an overly cheery tone, only causing an exaggerated eye roll. Shaw couldn't understand how anyone could be as overly cheery as Root was. "I really need you to get me some orange chicken."

Shaw couldn't help the look of complete shock that crossed her face. She was being woken up in the middle of the night after a day of hell for crappy Chinese take out. She had been called in at five o'clock that morning because a witness for one of her cases had been killed. Then she had gotten an ear full from not only her captain but the DA in charge of the case as well. 

"You gotta be kidding me," Shaw muttered as she thumped her head against the pillow forcefully.

"They're definitely your children, Sameen." Root commented innocently however Shaw knew better. Root would always mention that particular fact when Shaw was reluctant to accept her many requests. Shaw just couldn't argue back to that, not that she ever would.

Shaw threw off the blanket rather aggressively before slipping on a pair of jeans, her boots and one of Root's many leather jackets, ignoring the look of adoration from Root as she did so. She made a show of grabbing Root's wallet and taking a few twenties before making her way to the door.

"Oh, and some ice cream as well." Root called after her as slammed the bedroom door.

\-----

It took her an hour to get the take out and exact brand and flavour of ice cream that Shaw knew for a fact was Root's favourite. It was a cold and windy night and she would much rather be curled in bed beside Root but Shaw didn't mind as much as she originally had. 

She had decided to walk and the fresh air helped clear her head enough to actually make her a little sleepy. Her mind had been racing before Root had bothered her, although she knew that her wife could sense her struggle but the walk had given her enough time to process everything.

When she arrived back home, she placed the ice cream in the freezer and the Chinese on the bench. However after going to retrieve Root only to find her fast asleep, Shaw put the Chinese into the fridge. She quietly stripped off the clothes she was wearing, leaving her in a tank top and boy shorts, before getting into bed, securing an arm around Root's waist and placing a soft kiss on her stomach.

"You two couldn't have let her sleep an hour ago, could you?" Shaw whispered quietly, not wanting to disturb her wife. She ran her hand over the ever growing baby bump and smiled when she felt a small kick against her hand, taking it as a response.

"Yeah, yeah. I know that's not how it works." She replied softly as she felt another kick. This time, however, Root shifted briefly before settling back down. "Shh, don't wake your mom. She needs all the sleep she can get."

Shaw thought for a moment before sliding a little lower so that her face was level with Root's protruding belly. She had done this a few times now and it felt almost natural. It made her happy and she kind off understood Root a little more. After all, she was always having conversations with an AI. 

"I'm probably not helping with that though. But getting called into work at four in the morning isn't great for me either." Shaw continued in a hushed whisper. "So, you two are going to settle down and let us get some sleep. You can play soccer or whatever it is you're doing in the morning."

She placed two light kisses onto Root's belly before whispering an almost nonexistent "I love you" before moving back up the bed. Shaw was fast asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, keeping a tight, protective but gentle grip on Root.

Little did she know Root had been awake since she got back, trying to hide the dopey grin that overtook her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mixed these two prompts because the individual chapters, if they could be called that, were just three or four paragraphs each. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: A very overprotective Shaw (something in the lines of Shaw almost beating a guy to a pulp for mishandling Root).
> 
> Can you please do one where Shaw gets jealous and possessive over Root?

The guys had been quite adamant about not allowing Root to physically help with numbers, especially now that she was pregnant. They completely understood and respected Root's decision to take a step back and Shaw's decision to give it up completely. They had been through enough and there were three other lives that they now had to factor into the decisions that they made. It wasn't just their safety at stake, it was the wellbeing of their children as well.

However, they had needed Root in order to follow their number into woman's only club and, of course, Shaw insisted on going with her. As a result, they were sat by the bar surveilling their number as Finch was providing tech support from his office where he was watching Oliver. Reese had been given a few hours off in advance as Iris' parents were in town and insisted on having dinner with the couple and Lionel was still recovering from a beating he had taken on the job the previous day by one of their suspects. Suffice to say, the suspect was definitely the perp they were looking for and was now sitting in a holding cell waiting to be transferred to Riker's.

They had already been there for two hours and Shaw would have much rather been spending a quiet night at home playing a video game with Oliver rather than watching a bunch of women socialise, dance and drink until they were completely wasted and holding each other's hair back. The only men allowed in the club were a few bouncers, the two bartenders and the owner who was surrounded by women the entire time that they were there. He had been making his way around the club, seeing just how many women he could talk into sleeping with him. So far, he hadn't gotten any affirmative answers yet and Shaw couldn't help but chuckle as he was rejected but yet another woman.

Her amusement, however, diminished when he came over to them. In Shaw's opinion, he was a total sleaze. His hair was greasy and unkept and his face scruffy like he hadn't shave for a few days. He smelt of cheap cologne and alcohol and he looked like he had just rolled out of bed in yesterday's suit. All in all, Shaw felt like she wanted to vomit on him.

"Ladies, could I interest you in a fun evening?" He asked with a stupid grin that he probably thought was seductive.

Root smiled at him nonetheless but Shaw could tell that it wasn't genuine. The tightness of it told Shaw that she was just as repulsed, if not more, by the sorry excuse for a man in front of them.

"I think i'll pass." Shaw muttered, completely uninterested and she finished the rest of her drink and summoning the bar tender to order another.

He then turned his attention to Root and Shaw had to bite her cheek in an effort not to say anything. She didn't like the way he was looking at Root and it took everything in her not to draw her gun and kneecap him then and there.

"What about you, gorgeous?" He asked, leaning in closer to whisper into her ear and placing his hand onto her waist.

Root simply rolled her eyes and moved back as he lent forward. "As... lovely as that sounds, I don't think so." Root told him as she as she took a sip of her soda, purposefully using her left hand so that he could see her wedding ring.

"Hm, he doesn't have to find out." He responded, advancing on her again. 

This time, however, Shaw grabbed ahold of his wrist and twisted until it was at an uncomfortable angle before he could lay a hand on Root again. She finished the new drink she had just ordered, taking her time as the guy struggled to get loose. She then stood up and twisted his whole arm so that she was standing behind him and she stood on her toes so that she could speak lowly into his ear.

"She already knows, asshole." Shaw growled through clenched teeth. "Now, maybe you should just accept the fact that nobody wants to sleep with your pathetic ass and stop harassing my wife before I twist your arm so much that it breaks off."

And with that she pushed him away and into a crowd of people so that they could make their escape before he could have them kicked out.

It was then that Finch decided to update them. "It would appear that Ms. Dalton is leaving the club for the evening to go home. Mr. Reese has just informed me that he can follow her home and keep an eye on her for the evening."

"Perfect timing as always, Harry." Root commented, lacing her and Shaw's fingers as they exited the club. "We'll be there to get Ollie shortly."

"Feel free to take your time." Finch instructed before cutting the line of communication.

"I love it when you get protective." Root informed her teasingly with her signature smirk.

"Shut up, Root." Shaw growled before placing a possessive kiss onto the brunette's lips, instantly silencing her.


	11. Chapter 11

John Reese considered himself to be fairly impassive. There wasn't much that got him worked up. The majority of his adult life had been spent killing people for a living, whether it be in the military or the CIA. He had spent years training to become one of the most dangerous human beings to ever walk the Earth. He could kill a man with a rubber band if need be. There was very little that he couldn't do and childbirth was one example. Sure, he had received basic medical training and knew how to take care of a bullet wound but delivering a kid, or two in this case, had not been covered in the course he took with the army.

Of course, he wasn't meant to be locked in a bank executive's office with Root when she went into labour. They had been on a simple recon mission, safe enough to let a heavily pregnant Root assist him. Everything had been going well. Root was more than happy to get out for a bit and Reese hadn't minded listening to Root's continuous talking as they kept eyes on the number. Things had been going great until the followed the number into a bank which resulted in a robbery and hostage situation. 

The number, as it turned out, was not the outstanding citizen that they had originally thought and had taken the first opportunity he saw to take Root as a hostage. Reese knew that it was a good tactic; use the heavily pregnant woman as leverage against all the wannabe heroes in the room. Unfortunately for the number, Root wasn't any ordinary pregnant woman and she had managed to snap the man's arm as soon as he grabbed her. Of course, this didn't go over well with his partners who decided to take Root away from the rest of the area.

Being the good friend that he was, he didn't want them to take her away from where he could keep tabs on her. It was for everyone's safety really. Even a pregnant Root was incredibly deadly at the best of times and he knew that the odds of her doing something stupid would only increase without supervision, which just so happened to be the exact reason why Shaw had insisted that they keep her out of the field. 

"Hey," He called to the number, who was standing up from where he had fallen to the ground as two of his five partners began dragging Root towards the back of the bank. 

The number came over and Reese wasted no time in grabbing his other arm and snapping it similar to the way Root had only moments prior. Once again, he fell into a screaming heap on the floor as two others came over to restrain Reese and drag him to wherever they were taking Root. 

Reese could tell from the way they operated that they were only amateurs. They had no idea how bank heists actually worked and they had probably learned everything from hollywood blockbusters. It was almost laughable just how easy Reese could take them all out if it wasn't for the heavy duty firearms they had pointed at a bunch of civilians in the main area. It was only a matter of time before the cops arrived, probably along with Shaw and Fusco if Finch had managed to get into contact with them.

The robbers didn't seem to be particularly tech savvy but Reese could tell from the static coming through his earwig that they had somehow cut the signal to the building. Probably some cheap jammer that they had bought off the internet and had been stupid enough to leave a paper trail. 

They dragged him into a dark room, closely behind Root, before flicking the light on to reveal a nicely furnished office with a cowering man behind the desk. The two that had been dragging Root dropped her with an audible thump and proceeded to beat the older gentleman until he was unconscious. If it wasn't obvious that Root wasn't an average woman before, it certainly was when she began laughing quietly to herself. Unfortunately it wasn't quiet enough for the four goons to not to hear her and the one that had beaten the man up began to approach her in a manner that he probably thought was threatening.

"What are you laughing at, bitch?" He asked in a gruff tone. 

"Well, your technique was completely off for starters..." She began with a patronising tone, prompting the perpetrator to remove his handgun from where it had been stored in the back waistband of his pants and pistol whipped her across the face. The force of the hit was enough to split Root's lip and knock her slightly off balance, causing her to brace herself in order to keep her entire body from falling against the floor.

Reese instantly charged at him and if it hadn't been for the two men still holding him with a firm grip, he would have killed the guy on the spot. This guy obviously had no moral compass or code of any sort and Reese would have loved to knock some sense into him. Root sat back up and gave the man a shit eating grin.

"You also forgot to turn the cameras off," Root continued, her tone growing sickly sweet and Reese could see the mischievous glint sparkle in her eye which could only mean that the Machine was feeding her information. "Which means that the prosecutor will be adding another charge of assault to your growing list of offences."

The guy paused for a moment, his expression appearing completely shocked before it morphed into pure rage. Just as he moved his hand up, levelling the gun at Root's head, a short, familiar figure burst through the door and knee capped the two holding Reese. This caused them both to drop to the floor instantly and Reese took the opportunity to elbow them both in the face as they fell, knocking both perps unconscious.

"Drop it or I'll drop you." Shaw told him in a low growl that actually sent a shot of fear through Reese. He actually pitied the man.

The man shakily dropped the gun and turned around to face her, smirking at her as he did so. Shaw didn't even blink as she shot both his kneecaps within two seconds and the man dropped as he yelped helplessly in pain. Reese smirked as he made his way over to Root, almost missing the pained look on her face that quickly morphed into a softer smile.

"You can't do this," The man screamed, clutching at both legs to no avail. He looked up and his face suddenly morphed into a smug smirk. "The cameras are on." 

"No, they're not." Shaw replied, her voice and expression completely void of all emotions. 

"Well, there are witnesses. You won't get away with it." He pointed out.

Shaw looked over at Reese and Root, raising her eyebrow in question. Root smiled innocently and Reese lightly smirked.

"He was gonna take a shot at you. You took him down and he still tried to fire." Reese made up on the spot, receiving an agreeing nod from Root. 

At this, Shaw turned her attention back to the guy. His demeanour had completely changed and Reese could tell that he knew he was screwed. But he was lucky Shaw was giving him a painless end. Had they been in any other scenario, Shaw would have taken her time until he was begging her to end in suffering. She knew torture techniques that Reese had never heard of and he was mildly disappointed that he wouldn't get to see them used on the sorry excuse for a robber. 

"Looks like your numbers up." Shaw said with a shrug before shooting the guy without a second thought, leaving a nine caliber sized hole between his eyes. She holstered her weapon and swapped places with Reese at Root's side as he began to stage the scene before officers got to the room.

"You okay?" Shaw asked in a whisper as she looked Root over for any serious injuries. 

"If I tell you something, you cannot freak out." Root told her softly, causing Shaw to completely freeze and tense up. They were both silent for a few moments before Shaw gave her an exasperated expression, prompting Root to just say whatever it was that she was going to say. "My water broke."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this wasn't too bad. I was half asleep when I wrote this and I wanted to post it before I went on vacation this weekend. I hope you enjoyed it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have been stuck on this one for a while now and I have rewritten it five times in order to make it at least a little better from the previous drafts that were terrifyingly horrible. My recycle bin has never had that many documents in it at once before. Anyway, i hope that this meets your expectations. Enjoy.

Shaw was freaking out on the inside. Sure, she was a trained medical professional but when it came to her family all her acquired knowledge completely escaped her comprehension. She sat in between the two incubators that held her newborn children as she reminded herself over and over that they were hers, her and Root's.

Root was only at thirty five weeks when she went into labour the previous evening, which wasn't completely unheard of for a multiple pregnancy. They had expected her to go into labour early but Shaw would have liked another week just to make sure that everything was good and that her wife not have been held hostage in a bank by a group of amateurs.

Shaw had been yelled at by Root for the entirety of the eight hours she was in labour. At first it had been kind of funny, especially the sentences where she swore every second word, but as time dragged on it began to get on her nerves, not that Shaw dared to say anything. She had never seen her wife in as much pain as she had been, which had set off alarm bells in Shaw's mind. Root had survived a stapendectomy without anaesthesia in addition to the roller coaster ride of barbiturates and amphetamines with only minor complaints however she had been in pure, unadulterated pain in every sense of the word. They had eventually sedated her, opting for a c-section when it was discovered that the first baby had been in a breech position and the second had gone into distress.

Hanna Vashti and Joshua Dariush were quite underweight and had been rushed to the NICU in order to get them stabilised, causing Shaw to be grateful that Root had been sedated. She herself had been distraught, or as distraught as a sociopath could be, and she didn't dare to imagine what Root's reaction would have been had she been awake and lucid. They probably would have had to sedate her anyway. Shaw had waited in Root's room, gently holding the sedated brunette's hand, until the doctor had come to get her and inform her about what was happening. They were fine, they would just need to stay in the hospital for a few extra days.

As soon as she laid eyes on the pair she was in complete awe, exactly as she had been with Oliver. They were both tiny and fragile and nothing but perfect. They both had barely there blonde hair that Shaw immediately attributed to Root, having seen a picture of the tall brunette when she was a child. It was absolutely mind blowing for her to be looking at two, tiny human beings that were half hers and were completely dependent on her for everything. It had been different throughout Root's entire pregnancy. Sure, she knew that they would be completely dependent on her but the idea hadn't scared her as much as it does now as she gazes at the two newborns.

It hadn't been that way with Oliver. He had been three when she came back, perfectly capable of doing a variety of everyday tasks on his own with little supervision. He could even manage to keep himself occupied with various activities without any prompting from anyone. He was mostly independent and she found herself growing increasingly anxious as to whether or not she was actually going to be good at the whole parenting thing. In addition Oliver was a perfectly behaved child, an anomaly as far as Shaw was concerned considering that he was raised by Root for the majority of his short life. They had gotten lucky and she knew that the chances of that occurring for a second and third time were extremely unlikely.

She continued to watch over the two newborns for another two hours, simply watching them as they slept peacefully, until she felt the vibration of her phone in her pocket. She stealthily slipped the device from her pocket and glanced at the message, realising that she probably shouldn't have it on her. But what the hell, right? 

'Analog Interface is on route to your location.' The message read, undoubtedly from the Machine.

Shaw couldn't help but snort at the ridiculous nature of the message. "You make it sound like we're working a number." Shaw muttered to the Machine under her breath, not wanting to disturb her children or any of the other sleeping infants in the room. 

Sure enough, Root was wheeled in by a nurse a few minutes later with a soft smile that she reserved for Shaw and Oliver, and now Hanna and Josh as well, and unshed tears collecting in her eyes. The nurse stopped the wheelchair next to Shaw and gave her a polite smile before leaving the room.

"They're so beautiful," Root whispered softly, barely loud enough for Shaw to hear.

"They really are." Shaw agreed quietly and gently grasped Root's hand, not bothering to take her gaze away from the sleeping twins.

They couple sat in complete silence for a good twenty minutes or so. Root was studying them, committing every detail she possibly could to memory. Shaw was no stranger to this as she often went to sleep with Root watching her. It had annoyed her at first but as time passed she just got used to it and didn't bother to deter the hacker. She allowed Root watch them, waiting until gaze turn less precise, like it did when she was working on a piece of code or a virus from the Machine, and soften which indicated to Shaw that it was a good time to speak.

"Was it the same when Oliver was born?" Shaw asked quietly, keeping her gaze fixed onto a random spot on the wall. It was a signal to Root that she was actually afraid about the answer and, from what Root recalled, she was completely reasonable in feeling that way.

"Worse," Root whispered, giving Shaw's hand a light squeeze as she lent her head onto her tense shoulder in an effort to help her relax. "I mean, I wasn't held hostage or anything but he was too early. His lungs hadn't fully developed and they didn't know if he was going to make it. But he pulled through and they released him after two months. Although, I think because he was such a good baby that the nurses wanted to keep him a little longer."

Shaw had stopped listening after Root had relayed the previous unknown information surrounding Oliver's birth. Now things made a little more sense. Like why Root made him take vitamins every morning, why she rugged him up until he was to the point of overheating during the colder months or why Root always kept a supply of children's medicine for a variety of things in the medicine cupboard. 

Shaw couldn't help but feel a little guilty now, knowing that Root had been forced to endure the pain of possibly losing their son without her. Logically, she knew that there was absolutely nothing that she could do but a part of her, the part that was now permanently turned up, still felt uncomfortable with the newly acquired knowledge.

"I'm sorry," Shaw muttered suddenly after a few moments of silence. When she caught sight of the confused expression that crossed Root's face, she knew that she needed to clarify. "For not being there."

Root teared up at the apology and opened her mouth several times in an effort to say something. However, she couldn't seem to find the right words so she gave her hand a soft squeezed and placed a peck on her cheek.

"That wasn't your fault." She stated in whisper with conviction shining in her gaze leaving no room for argument. "I know that you would have been there if you could. But you're here now."

Shaw simply nodded and shifted so that she was now the one with her head laid on Root's shoulder and the hacker began running her fingers through the Persian's dark hair gently with her free hand. They remained in that exact position as their breaths evened out and the fell into dreamless sleeps, comforted by the reassuring feel of the other that would keep the night terrors away.


End file.
